1. Technical Field
The invention relates to exhaust and ventilation systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing and filtering airborne fumes and particles at their point of origin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The serious health consequences from inhalation of second-hand cigarette smoke are well documented. In response to this significant public health problem, health regulations have been enacted at local, state, and federal levels to reduce the public exposure to the harmful fumes.
The impact of second-hand smoke is clearly felt by restaurants, bingo parlors, public meeting places, casinos, and gaming establishments. In a casino, smokers and non-smokers sit side by side for extended periods in close proximity to casino workers. Under these conditions, compliance with city, county, state, and Federal public health regulations and Federal OSHA standards is costly. While banning smoking outright is a possible solution, a casino faces the potential loss of significant income from smokers who need frequent breaks from gambling to smoke, or who choose to patronize establishments that permit smoking. On the other hand, the failure to eliminate smoke fumes subjects the casinos to employee lawsuits, as well as the loss of business from non-smokers. Similar problems arise in chemical and biological laboratories, as well as in manufacturing processing or assembly facilities that use toxic materials.
Contemporary technology for the elimination of airborne irritants address the problem with ceiling fans, ventilators, exhaust blowers, and air conditioning systems. While these systems do remove the irritants from indoor areas, they are unable to remove the undesirable fumes and particles at their source, prior to their diffusion through and contamination of the atmosphere.
It would be a significant advance in the art to provide an apparatus that removes and filters airborne particles, particularly smoke particles, and noxious fumes at their origin, and thus permits non-smokers to remain in close proximity to smokers while minimizing the deleterious effects of second-hand smoke.